WHEELBARROW WITH RETRACTABLE CONFIGURATION
An improved wheelbarrow featuring a retractable configuration that permits ready emptying of a wheelbarrow receptacle, with reduced need to tilt, lift or invert the wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow is disclosed with a retractable configuration that is optionally operable by the user to create an egress for wheelbarrow cargo.
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wheelbarrows.
2. Background of the Invention
Wheelbarrows have been used for centuries, with the basic principles of leverage and the wheel converging to assist with transport of heavy items over ground. Although there are written descriptions of wheelbarrows dating to the first century B.C., the oldest surviving picture, a frieze relief from a tomb-shrine in Szechuan province of China, dates from about 118 A.D. Other sources recite that the first wheelbarrows were purportedly developed by Chuko Liang (181-234 A.D.) of China, a general who used the wheelbarrows to transport supplies to injured soldiers. (http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blwheelbarrow.htm). These first wheelbarrows had two wheels and required two men to propel and steer. Wheelbarrows are not believed to have arrived in Europe before the eleventh or twelfth century, with the earliest known Western depiction in a window at Cartres Cathedral dated around 1220 A.D. http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://library.thinkguest.org/23062/wbarrow.html). Since the arrival of the wheelbarrow centuries ago, many improvements have been fashioned to ease the workload on the user, with a variety of improvements documented in the United States patent office. Notable improvements include U.S. Pat. No. 207,222 to Tennent (1878) (barrow formed of a continuous wood construction); U.S. Pat. No. 354,775 to Fay (1886) (a leg brace for barrow cargo); U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,710 to Osterkamp (1941) (wheelbarrow with a forward pouring spout); U.S. Pat. No. 1,544,769 to Nalder (1925) (wheelbarrow with a forward tilting load receptacle); U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,760 to Sine (1971) (wheelbarrow with folding and collapsible sides); U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,904 to Puckett (1973) (folding wheelbarrow for compact storage); U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,970 to Andersen (1992) (apparatus for retrofit to an existing wheelbarrow that allows additional pivoted travel of receptacle while dumping cargo); U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,838 to Zimmerman (2005) (wheelbarrow handle featuring a pivoting action that tilts forward the barrow receptacle when handles are pushed down); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,089 to Stark (2005) (wheelbarrow featuring a semi-enclosed pouring chute attachment). While each of the foregoing inventions are noble improvements to the wheelbarrow, they do not address in the same manner a present concern of this invention, which is to provide a further improvement to reduce the lifting and tilting required to empty a wheelbarrow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, it an objective of the present application to provide an improved wheelbarrow featuring a retractable configuration that permits ready emptying of a wheelbarrow receptacle, with a reduced need to tilt or invert the wheelbarrow.
It is a further object of the application to provide a wheelbarrow with a retractable configuration that is optionally operable by the user to create an egress for wheelbarrow cargo, which retracted state may not have been desirable during transport of cargo.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheelbarrow that is cost-effective to manufacture and of sturdy construction.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wheelbarrow that is easy to wash, without standing water disposed in the load receptacle.
Other objectives of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the invention has been shown and described.
The manner in which these objectives and other desirable characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following description and attached drawings in which:
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONMost importantly,
Disclosed is a wheelbarrow comprising a wheelbarrow frame, at least one wheel unit secured to said wheelbarrow frame, a load receptacle securely fixed to said wheelbarrow frame, and, a retractable configuration operably configured within said load receptacle. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow wherein said retractable configuration further comprises means to selectively lower at least one surface of said load receptacle. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow wherein said retractable configuration further comprises a retractable member. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow wherein said retractable configuration further comprises a retractable member that is a movable track. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow wherein said retractable configuration further comprises a retractable member that is a movable track operably configured to movably interconnect with a member guide disposed in the load receptacle. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow wherein said retractable configuration further comprises a retractable member that assumes the shape and contours of said load receptacle to which it is movably coupled. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow further comprising a retractable configuration with a retractable member formed from any of the group of materials consisting essentially of metals, alloys, wood, composites, PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, or plastics that assume a rigid shape. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow wherein said retractable configuration further comprises a retractable member that features segments joined to form a track. Disclosed is a wheelbarrow comprising a wheelbarrow frame; at least one wheel unit secured to said wheelbarrow frame; a load receptacle securely fixed to said wheelbarrow frame; and, wherein said load receptacle features at least one retractable member that may be lowered to reveal an opening in said load receptacle. Further disclosed is a wheelbarrow comprising: a wheelbarrow frame; at least two wheel units secured to said wheelbarrow frame; a load receptacle securely fixed to said wheelbarrow frame; and, a retractable configuration operably configured within said load receptacle.
The appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments which are appreciated by those skillful in the arts.
Claims
1. A wheelbarrow comprising:
- A wheelbarrow frame;
- At least one wheel unit secured to said wheelbarrow frame;
- A load receptacle securely fixed to said wheelbarrow frame; and,
- a retractable configuration featuring at least one retractable member, wherein said retractable configuration is operably configured within said load receptacle, and wherein said retractable member is a movable track; and,
- a means for controlling said retractable member.
2. The wheelbarrow of claim 1, wherein said retractable configuration further comprises means to selectively lower at least one surface of said load receptacle.
3. The wheelbarrow of claim 1, wherein said retractable member is integral with the front of said load receptacle.
4. The wheelbarrow of claim 1, wherein said retractable member may be lowered to reveal an opening in said load receptacle.
5. The wheelbarrow of claim 1, wherein said retractable member is operably configured to movably interconnect with a member guide disposed in the load receptacle.
6. The wheelbarrow of claim 1, wherein said retractable member assumes the shape and contours of said load receptacle to which it is movably coupled.
7. The wheelbarrow of claim 1, wherein said retractable member formed from any of the group of materials consisting essentially of metals, alloys, wood, composites, PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, or plastics that assume a rigid shape.
8. The wheelbarrow of claim 1, wherein said retractable member is defined by segments.
9. A wheelbarrow comprising:
- A wheelbarrow frame;
- At least one wheel unit secured to said wheelbarrow frame;
- A load receptacle securely fixed to said wheelbarrow frame;
- Wherein said load receptacle features at least one retractable member that is a movable track, operably configured to movably interconnect with a member guide disposed in the load receptacle; and,
- a means for controlling said retractable member.
10. A wheelbarrow comprising:
- A wheelbarrow frame;
- At least two wheel units secured to said wheelbarrow frame;
- A load receptacle securely fixed to said wheelbarrow frame; and,
- a retractable configuration featuring at least one retractable member, wherein said retractable configuration is operably configured within said load receptacle, and wherein said retractable member is a movable track; and,
- a means for controlling said retractable member.
11. The wheelbarrow of claim 10, wherein said retractable configuration further comprises means to selectively lower at least one surface of said load receptacle.
12. The wheelbarrow of claim 10, wherein said retractable member is integral with the front of said load receptacle.
13. The wheelbarrow of claim 10, wherein said retractable member may be lowered to reveal an opening in said load receptacle.
14. The wheelbarrow of claim 10, wherein said retractable member operably configured to movably interconnect with a member guide disposed in the load receptacle.
15. The wheelbarrow of claim 10, wherein said retractable member assumes the shape and contours of said load receptacle to which it is movably coupled.
16. The wheelbarrow of claim 10, wherein said retractable member is formed from any of the group of materials consisting essentially of metals, alloys, wood, composites, PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, or plastics that assume a rigid shape.
17. The wheelbarrow of claim 10, wherein said retractable member is defined by segments.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 19, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 20, 2007
Patent Grant number: 7334803
Inventor: Jason Gonzalez (San Diego, CA)
Application Number: 11/455,057
International Classification: B62B 1/00 (20060101);